Lover's Quarrel
by Golden Halo
Summary: Sho brings out Ren's sparkling-scary-gentlemanly smile by managing to land his lips on Kyoko's...again. What will happen to our favorite pairing's relationship, especially when the Actor's Rule of Heart has already been used?
1. Prologue: Unexpected Occurences

**A/N: Hello! This is my first time writing a fanfic, so please go easy on me! Please R &R, special thanks to my friend for beta reading and helping me through writer's block. Apologies for OOC-ness. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything...unfortunately.**

 _Thoughts_

 **English**

"Dialogue,"

* * *

"MOOOOOKOOOOO-SAAAAAN!"

Kanae casually dodged her friend, who had launched herself at her on sight. "MO. It's not like it's been that long since we saw each other, and you're already trying to tackle me," she stated as she feigned annoyance, "and the lunch thing we're going to isn't even just us, you had to invite Yashiro and Tsuruga too…" Kanae was not craving time with her best friend alone. Definitely not.

"But Moookooo, we can go to lunch any time, just me and you! And we could go for ice cream too, and then go shopping after…" Kanae watched Kyoko slip into best-friend-fantasyland in secret amusement.

"All right, fine. Maybe this will be a nice change. Let me put on some normal clothes and we can go meet them at the cafe."

Kyoko nodded vigorously. "I think I second that plan. I don't want to draw attention to you and Tsuruga-san and inconvenience you all."

The girls changed, then headed out down the block to the cafe where Ren and Yashiro were waiting. On the way, they chatted about new dramas, offers, and opportunities.

"Oh! Guess what?," Kyoko said, beaming.

"What?"

"I took down that big poster of Sho! I've decided that I can be my own motivation, and that I love acting more than I love to hate him, as easy as it is. I don't even think about him that much anymore," she smiled to herself.

"That's great, Kyoko! Just promise me that you won't leave me and Chiori-chan if you graduate the pink curse before us…" Kanae teased, grinning gently at Kyoko. "But I don't think it's just you moving on from Sho, I think Tsuruga-san had something to do with it too, right?"

Kyoko quickly averted her gaze, opting to stare at her shoes to hide the faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Maybe a little bit," she said quietly, "but revenge really isn't that important to me anymore. I just want to act for me."

* * *

The whole walk there, Kanae had a feeling that she was forgetting something. She checked her purse, just to check, and discovered that the only thing missing was the most important: she had left her wallet back at LME. She explained to Kyoko, and told her to go ahead to the cafe. "Just order something low-calorie for me. I'll be right back, ok?"

"Moko-san, are you sure you don't want me to go with you? I really don't mind," Kyoko said.

"I'm sure, I'll just be a few minutes. LME isn't even a mile away, there and back,"

"If you say so, Moko-san. See you in a bit!" Kyoko smiled at Kanae and waved as she turned and walked away. When the entrance to the cafe was only a few feet away, she stopped and stretched. _I wonder how long Moko-san will be,_ she wondered. She absentmindedly surveyed the crowd of people surrounding her, and turned to go into the building.

That was the plan, anyways.

Suddenly, Kyoko's wrists were grabbed from behind, and she was turned and forced against the cafe, half on the brick wall and half on the window. _What the-_

She squirmed a little, but her hands were pinned above her head by this man's superior strength. "Stop struggling, damn it," a familiar voice ordered.

Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at her assailant's face. Recognition first registered on her face, then shock. "Sho? Just what do you think you're doing?" She glared at him, and he smirked at her. Due to his disguise, she hadn't spotted him among the crowd.

Ignoring her question, Sho made it clear why he was holding her in place. "I heard you talking about me with that other girl. About how you had a poster of me in your room, took it down, and that you don't think of me very often. I, of course, can't have my property thinking of anyone more than me, so we'll just have to fix this little issue."

"Sho, get this through your thick skull. I. AM. NOT. YOUR. PROPERTY." Kyoko said, emphasizing each word by stamping her foot.

Sho laughed, "Of course you are," and proceeded to kiss her squarely on the lips.

Kyoko struggled and squirmed, but couldn't do much with her wrists locked above her head in Sho's iron grip. She squeezed her eyes shut again as she reluctantly accepted that she wasn't going to be able to escape this few seconds in hell. She decided she was not going to react at all, and she would focus on anything but his warm lips on hers, or the way that this time, he wasn't trying to shove his tongue down her throat. She did not acknowledge the fact that this time, it wasn't entirely a displeasing sensation, save for the person giving the kiss. She definitely was focusing on the cold, hard corner of the brick building between the wall and window. And trying not to die of embarrassment because people inside the cafe could see half of what was going on.

 _People inside the cafe could see half of what was going on…_

 _People inside could see…_

 _People inside…_

 _REN IS INSIDE._

Her eyes shot open as her mind arrived at the revelation. She thought about how to get out of the predicament, and channeled her inner Natsu. "Ahr yoo phineshd et?" Natsu asked against his mouth.

He opened his mouth against hers and swiped his tongue gently against her lower lip before pulling away. "That depends, how much will you think of me?"

Natsu shoved him out of her path, and said, "Shotaro, you'd have to have a lot more skill in the art of seduction to make me want more of that spitfest you call a kiss." Sho's eyebrows shot up at her tactful insult, and opened his mouth to fire off a response. Before he could speak, she cut him off and addressed the people around them: "Hey, listen up, people! Sho Fuwa is here, waiting to be bescumbered by your love! Come give him the attention he craves!" At that, heads started turning. People began looking the direction they had been previously avoiding.

Once a few people began to recognize Sho, the crowd began pressing around him closer, clamoring for his attention. Natsu flashed a smirked at Sho, who looked overwhelmed, beginning to drown in a sea of fans. _Damn. This is the day when I regret becoming so popular_ , he thought as he watched Kyoko sashay away from the crowd. It was only now that he registered that it appeared his kiss had left her mostly unaffected.

* * *

As Natsu strutted away from the bewildered Sho and towards the entrance to the cafe, only then did she see the one person who shattered her facade and turned her back into Kyoko.

 _Ren_.

He had a mixture of shock and dismay written across his face, and she wanted to tuck tail and run. There was a hammering in her heart so great that Kyoko thought that he might be able to hear it. Her Natsu walk had dropped off the second she spotted him, and now she slowly shuffled towards him, keeping her head down like a child prepared for a scolding. When she reached within arms length from Ren, she said, "I'm sorry! This is all my fault," and began to fall into a dogeza.

Ren stopped her by placing his hand on her shoulder and gently pulling her up. "Kyoko, lift your head. I'm not going to yell at you, you can kiss whoever you want. I was just wondering if you needed any help fighting him off." _Like hell she can_ , he thought.

She slowly looked up at him, sadness evident in her eyes. "Tsuruga-san, I DON'T want to kiss him! How could you think that?" she asked, clearly upset. "This time, the Actor's Rule of Heart can't apply because it only works once! And…so...I suppose this was my first kiss…" her face fell as she made her point.

"You remember when I told you all about my first kiss, right? At least yours wasn't some strange man." He smiled at her, sparkling and gentlemanly, neither of them noticing his clenched fist. "Shall we go in? I'm sure you're hungry."

 _He's mad. I know that smile_ , Kyoko thought with a shudder as they weaved their way to the table. _Moko-san was wrong, today's turning out very bad._

As if thoughts could summon people, the beautiful actress entered the cafe looking slightly frazzled. "Great. There's a big crowd right outside and all I can hear is 'OMG, Sho-chan!'. Ugh. What did I miss?"

Kyoko visibly paled.


	2. Chapter 1: The Influence of Emotions

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, reviewed, and even just taken the time to read this. It means so much to me!** **I'm sorry if it's a little OOC.**

 _Thoughts_

 **English**

"Dialogue,"

* * *

"Mogami-san, may I have a word with you?"

As soon as the four friends arrived at LME after their lunch break, those were the first words out of Ren's mouth. All throughout lunch, his gentlemanly smile had not slipped. Both Kyoko and Yashiro had been fidgety and nervous, but Kanae either didn't know or didn't care.

Kyoko swallowed nervously. "S-sure, Tsuruga-san," _Did I seriously just stutter?_

Ren turned to Yashiro and Kanae. "You guys go on ahead, we'll catch up." he said. Then he motioned to Kyoko to follow him, and he led her through a quiet hallway to a deserted office room. He held the door for her as she entered the room. The furnishing was basic, a long oval table surrounded by sturdy, comfortable chairs, and the walls were painted a bland, neutral cream color.

She pulled out a chair and timidly sat down, waiting for whatever Tsuruga-san was going to scold her for. _It was probably Sho-baka_ , she thought. She twiddled her thumbs nervously.

Instead of sitting down, Ren leaned against a wall and crossed his arms. "Mogami-san, please look at me. I told you earlier, I'm not going to yell at you, I just want to talk."

Kyoko raised her head a fraction, and their eyes met for a split second before she decided to focus on the wall above her head to calm her heart. _I don't know what's making it beat faster, him or the present subject…_ However, no matter how hard she tried, her rebellious eyes would always return to his face. Because of this, she noted that he still hadn't dropped his mask. _He's probably really mad._

"I want to talk about your career. If...incidents...like this keep happening, it could seriously damage your image, especially as a woman. If you're seen in public passionately making out with anyone without being in a relationship, the press could see you as using yourself to boost your popularity," he said, "and on top of that, it seriously confuses those who know you." At the last part, his eyes darted away from her for a moment, but his beautiful brown eyes were back on her again so fast she wondered if she had imagined it.

"I know, and I'm so sorry that you had to witness me make yet another mistake. I just...I can't seem to get rid of him. He's like a tick, so insignificant that it's hard to get him off, but keeps biting you to remind you of his presence." Kyoko screwed up her face in defeat. "I just need to find the right repellent, I guess."

Ren smirked internally. _I could be that repellent_. Then, mildly ashamed, he shook the thought away. It was ridiculous anyways, just attempting to get her to see him as a man was hard enough. Ren reminded himself of why he was here, and it shook him out of his faint amusement and back into seriousness and jealousy. "Mogami-san, you should always be on your guard around him. Considering that it's the second time this has happened, you should count yourself both lucky and unlucky that you were in public. Always be aware of your surroundings, and you should avoid him if you can't keep your composure," he stated bluntly, and continued, "I'll talk to the President about getting the LoveMe section a manager, or someone who can look after you three."

"Tsuruga-san, we can handle ourselves at the moment, we're not kids. You don't need to inconvenience yourself for us," she insisted, sounding slightly dejected.

Ren stared straight at her, determined not to let his jealousy show. "I'm not as concerned about Kanae-san and Amamiya-san as I am about you. Those two don't have these kinds of problems, and if they do, they stop it before it escalates. You're a good person, Mogami-san. You exude good vibes, but whenever you're around him, that changes. If someone would be to recognize you today, it could possibly damage your reputation much more than his. He's more popular than you at the moment," he said, pointing out fact harsher than he meant to, "and his fanbase won't take nearly as hard of a hit as yours would." He was beginning to take his own annoyance and jealousy out on her, much to his disappointment.

Kyoko relaxed the tension in her body, and was silent for just long enough for him to regret his tone. She glanced up at him, and in that second he could see that she was not entirely Kyoko anymore, she was sharing between her roles. "Are you saying that I can't take care of myself and my image on my own, Tsuruga-san? Or is it that I don't work well with others?"

His stomach flip flopped. Ren immediately recognized aspects from some of the roles she played. He noted Natsu's posture and Mio's stare, but the only one he couldn't place was the light shroud over her emotions in the form of an effortless, yet emotionless, grin. If he hadn't known her better, he might've mistaken it for a true smile. He realized that he didn't have a clue as to what she was thinking, and only then did he recognize it as a mask that she had used, likely when she was still a child. _Similar to my own, sadly._

"Both and neither. All I'm trying to get you to understand is to watch how you act in public," he retorted defensively, "and that you'd probably debut faster if you weren't continuously opening yourself to potentially bad press by letting anyone kiss you." _This girl_ , he thought with annoyance, _is going to shatter the mask of Tsuruga Ren_. He knew it, and couldn't do anything about it. "And Kyoko, this isn't an acting test. Stop hiding behind your characters." He didn't want to argue with script-born personas.

"Hah!" Natsu laughed, "I'll drop my act when you drop yours! Take your own advice before you dish it. Sometimes…" she trailed off.

Ren blinked. _I can't exactly deny that one, so…_ "Sometimes what?"

Kyoko dropped her act. "No. It's stupid. Never mind." She stood up and turned around, obviously hurt.

"Sometimes what?"

Cautiously, she said, "Sometimes...sometimes, even though I know you, I feel like there's another side of you that you're hiding. From me, from everyone. I'm sorry for being so forward, Tsuruga-san. I just wish you would trust me."

Kyoko gave him a practiced, perfect bow, desperate not to let her breaking heart show. "I have work to do, and I'm sure you do too," she said, her voice cracking. "I'll see you around, Tsuruga-san." With that, she walked out the door, leaving a bewildered Ren behind. He did not see the single tear that she allowed to roll down her cheek.

It took Ren a minute to register what had just happened, and by the time his mind caught up, she was already gone. He rushed to the door of the room.

 **"Kyoko! Wait! I'm sorry!"** Ren shouted, but to no avail. "Please..." She was gone. He slowly turned on his heel and walked back into the room. He stared at the chair she had been sitting in just moments ago, and pulled out another chair facing that one. He put his chin in his hands, his eyes still on her chair. What had he done? _Fuck_.

* * *

 **Footnote: This takes place sometime after the first Valentine's Day disaster and before the trip to Guam. I'm sorry if some of you were confused about the "first kiss" mentioned if you've read the most recent chapters, my mistake!**


	3. Chapter 2a: Expression of His Thoughts

**A/N: Hello all! Chapter 2 is split into two mini-chapters, each with a different POV. Thank you again for every follow, favorite, review, and read! It means so much!**

 _Thoughts_

 **English**

"Dialogue,"

* * *

Ren sat there, staring at the place she had been not five minutes ago, motionless. He sat still, mourning the loss of trust, companionship, and Kyoko in general, and nursing a severely broken heart. _Broken because of my...no, Kuon's big mouth. I just had to let him take it out on her_ , he thought miserably. He thought in circles of despair until he felt himself grow more and more agitated, his negativity a ticking time bomb. _Screw it. I am Kuon and Kuon is me. This mess is MY fault. Shit. How do I fix this? Is it even possible?_

Without realizing it, his fists clenched continually tighter until that wasn't enough of an outlet. He couldn't contain his emotions any longer. _Should I call her? What does she think of me now? Will it help at all if I call? I will do anything for her forgiveness._ Ren faltered. .. _.Does she hate me now? Could she ever love me?_

Coincidentally, his phone rang, causing him to jump. Because it wasn't her cute and catchy ringtone, he responded to it like any logical person would. He dismissed the call. Ren stood up so quickly that the backs of his knees hit his chair with enough force to send it crashing noisily to the ground, hitting the chair behind it on its way.

And threw his phone against the wall.

"Damn it all! Kyoko, I just want to tell you I love you! That's why I want you to be on your guard around him, that ass! He has the guts to take what he wants, I'll give him that, but I don't want that scumbag touching or even looking at the only person I've ever loved!" he shouted to the empty room.

He's not sure if he felt better or worse by the time he had finished. In a normal volume, he spoke to himself, "I...I'm so jealous. It's so crazy, but I want to be the one to be able to kiss you. I'm so, so unbelievably sorry."

Ren sighed and hung his head _. I should probably go._ He felt a pain on his palms, and only then he registered that his hands were balled so tightly that they had left red crescent marks on his hands.

He walked over to the back of the room and pocketed his undamaged brick of a phone. Ren slowly made his way towards the door, dragging his heels the whole way. Once at the door, he pushed it open to find someone standing there. She had fiery orange hair and sported a shell-shocked expression spread across her beautiful features.

Ren saw nothing but her wide, golden eyes. He felt nothing but his heart, hammering against his rib cage. He heard nothing around him but a deafening white noise. He thought nothing but six words, repeating themselves in turn like a mantra.

 _Kyoko is here._

 _She came back._

 _Kyoko is here._

 _She came back_.

They stared at each other, unmoving, until he thought of one question that blew his mind.

 _How...how much of that did she hear?_


	4. Chapter 2b: And the Shock of Her Life

_Thoughts_

 **English**

"Dialogue,"

* * *

As soon as Kyoko walked out of the office room, she couldn't hold back anymore. One tear after another escaped, no matter how hard she tried to hold it in. She ran down the hall and slammed her back against the wall around the corner, just barely out of sight before she heard Ren.

 **"Wait! Kyoko! I'm sorry!"**

She flinched, and stifled a sob. Kyoko drew in three ragged, deep breaths. _I need to calm down._ The more breaths she took, the easier it was for her to stop the tears. As soon as she did, she started thinking.

 _Maybe I overreacted. He probably has a good reason for hiding from everyone,_ _right?_ She closed her eyes tightly. _...Of course he does. Tsuruga-san doesn't do things without a reason. I...I should go apologize._

Kyoko wiped the evidence of her tears away on her sleeve and proceeded to turn around when another thought struck her. _He called me by my first name, more than once._ She smiled to herself and continued walking when she heard a thunderous crash followed by a smaller one. Her eyes flew wide open, and she picked up her pace to almost a jog.

Upon arriving at the door, Kyoko took a deep breath to steady herself, and reached for the door handle. "Ts...Tsuruga-san?" she asked in a small voice, "I'm coming in."

Kyoko gently pushed on the door, barely opening it a crack, when she heard Ren's voice boom through the otherwise empty room and spill into the hallway, causing her to jump back in surprise.

"Damn it all! Kyoko, I just want to tell you I love you! That's why I want you to be on your guard around him, that ass! He has the guts to take what he wants, I'll give him that, but I don't want that scumbag touching or even looking at the only person I've ever loved!"

Kyoko froze, barely able to comprehend his words. Her mind raced a million miles an hour. Then, she heard him say one more thing in a much lower volume. Her ears, acutely attuned to his voice, caught every word.

"I...I'm so jealous. It's so crazy, but I want to be the one to be able to kiss you. I'm so, so unbelievably sorry."

 _What...what...what…_ she thought, _what is he talking about? He_ loves _me? No, that's not possible. Maybe there's another Kyoko? But that's what he called me earlier. More than once, he must've forgotten he was in Japan! But...what? I'm so confused…_

Her internal struggle immobilized her externally. When the door squeaked open, the only physical motion was her golden gaze shifting upwards a fraction, raised to the face of the person emerging.

Her first instinct was to flee, but his gorgeous brown eyes kept her ensnared, entranced, and rooted in place. Kyoko watched a tempest of emotions flicker across his face; first despair, then astonishment, wonder, and back to incredulity. Finally, his face rested in nervousness. All of his emotions were showcased for Kyoko in just the time it took for him to open the door and meet her eyes.

"M-Mogami-san," he greeted awkwardly.

"Kyoko, please call me Kyoko," she corrected, "I seem to prefer it now, after..." Kyoko could feel her cheeks heat up into a pretty rose-colored blush.

He took a second to register what she said, but he caught up quickly. As soon as he did, a radiant smile softened his features and lightened up the entire area. Simultaneously, it set the butterflies in her stomach into flight and made her heart beat so loudly that she was sure he could hear it.

"Kyoko."


	5. Chapter 3: Sweet Situations

**A/N: Hello all! First off, I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've been crazy busy lately… Originally, I was going to do one long finale-type chapter, but it turned out to be too long already and still wasn't finished. Therefore, I'm posting this one now, and I hope it makes up - at least a little - for the tardiness. The next chapter will still be a long one, and will be up within two days of this one. Again, I'm really sorry! Apologies for any OOC-ness. Thank you for every follow, favorite, read, and review - you guys are my motivation:)**

 _Thoughts_

 **English**

"Dialogue,"

* * *

"Kyoko." Ren said, and that one word was her undoing. Her blush, which had been barely a dusting of rose on her cheeks, became much more pronounced.

"Kyoko," Ren began hesitantly, "I don't know how much of that you heard, but judging by your expression I'm going to assume you heard all of it." He cleared his throat tensely, and continued awkwardly, "Like you said, unfortunately, I have to call Yashiro back and get to my next location. But since we seriously need to talk about this...um, would you...uh, like to come over for dinner?" Nervousness danced fleetingly in his eyes.

Kyoko's heart leapt. "I would love to, Tsuruga-san."

"Please, call me Ren. It would really mean a lot to me, considering…" he said, trying to sound convincing.

"But Tsuruga-san," Kyoko protested, "I couldn't possibly address you so infor-"

Ren cut her off. "Please. If I should call you by your first name, it only makes sense to call me by mine…" he trailed off, seeing she was conflicted.

He could see only one way to get her to agree.

"Tsuruga-san, no fair! Not the puppy dog eyes…" Kyoko sighed and lowered her head in defeat. "Fine, R-Ren. You win." She looked down, her expression saying that she had been majorly cheated.

Ren pumped his fist internally. _Despite having such a shitty day, it's always good if I make any progress with her,_ he thought. "Thank you, Kyoko. You don't know how much it means to me," he stated, relieved that she caved.

"It...it means a lot to me too...Ren." Kyoko responded. She looked up at him, a timid smile on her lips. As her eyes met his, her heart skipped a beat. A more intense version of his heavenly smile graced his handsome features, and it seemed to Kyoko that he could stare straight through her and into her thoughts.

Ren could barely hold himself back. He wanted so badly to touch her, to hold her...to kiss her. _She called me Ren, and she came back to me._ He couldn't believe that simply his name rolling off of her tongue could put such a dent in his self-control. The longer he stared at those golden eyes, the more weakened his resolve to not do something rash became. He could drown in her endless beauty, and the way she was so completely innocent made her so undeniably pure. There were so many reasons that he loved her, he would need more hands to count them all. His internal war with determination was an uphill battle, and he was a ball.

"Kyoko," he whispered, barely audible. The longer they gazed at each other, the faster that battle was lost. Ren reached his hand up towards her cheek, ever so slowly. One small step to close the distance between them came next.

She inhaled sharply, her breathing shallow in anticipation. Kyoko didn't care that her heart was beating a million miles an hour, it didn't matter that they had things to do. All she cared about was him, he was so close, and she couldn't move away. Not that she particularly wanted to. Kyoko was his willing victim. His hand touched her cheek. She honestly thought she might faint.

"Ren," Kyoko breathed. He loomed closer and closer, and her eyelids fluttered shut on their own accord.

"MO. This is annoying. Why do you have to drag me with you?" a voice echoed down the hallway.

The pair froze.

"I told you, it's a LoveMe assignment. And you know Kyoko-chan best, I figured you might have better intuition as to where they are." another voice responded, obviously exasperated.

The two owners of the voices stomped around the corner, only to come to an abrupt halt at the end of the hallway.

"S-s-sorry! We didn't mean to interrupt...wait, Ren? And Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro said, clearly baffled.

"MO! What are you two doing?" Kanae inquired, just as surprised as Yashiro.

Suddenly becoming aware that they were still incriminatingly close, Ren quickly dropped his hand and each stepped away from the other in unison. "Nothing." Ren said, even though his light blush was telling.

"Playboy!" Kyoko accused. _Did that not mean anything to him? Was it all a trick?_ Her chest constricted painfully at her insecurities.

"Hey! Not true!" Ren said defensively to Kyoko, then turned to Yashiro and Kanae. "It wasn't nothing, it was something really, really good."

Kanae was bewildered, one perfect eyebrow raised in questioning. Yashiro was already halfway into fangirl mode, partially shocked and partially excited.

Yashiro was the first to speak. "Well, Kyoko-chan, I hate to take your kiss-buddy away but we reeeeeally need to get to the next location. I promise to make it up to you, though! Maybe you two conveniently run into each other…" he trailed off, almost completely immersed in his romantic fantasies.

Ren tapped Kyoko on her shoulder, and she jumped at the contact. "Here," he said, and handed her a key. He lowered his voice, and continued, "In case you get there before I do."

"U-um, if you're sure." She discreetly pocketed the key.

"Why are you guys whispering to each other like a married couple? MO. There are other people here." Kanae said, slightly miffed.

Kyoko instantly paled. "I'm sorry, Moko-san! I won't do it again."

"Well, it's okay, but look at the time. Don't you have Box-R soon?" Kanae asked.

Kyoko glanced at her phone, and her eyes widened. "I'm going to be late! I have to go, I'll see you all later! Bye!" And with that, she sped down the halls and out of sight, leaving her companions behind.

Yashiro turned to Kanae and motioned for her to hand something over. She narrowed her eyes at him, then reluctantly handed over her stamp book and stamps.

"Kotonami-san, are you just doing LoveMe work today?" Ren asked awkwardly, trying to break the silence.

She shifted her icy gaze to him. "Yes. I've already cleaned two stalls, mailed three letters, and passed notes eight billion times between two people who thought they were being cute. For the record, they weren't."

Ren didn't ask any more questions.

Yashiro poked Kanae, and handed her things back to her. Calmer now, he said, "We really do have to go. It was nice having lunch with you and Kyoko-chan, despite the slight bump in the road. Maybe we could do it again sometime?"

Perhaps it was just Ren, but he thought some of the ice in Kanae's gaze melted as she looked at his manager and responded, "Sure, sounds fun. I'll leave you guys to it then." She flipped her hair as she turned, and then left the same direction that Kyoko had.

The two remaining men looked at each other, and shared a knowing grin.

* * *

As soon as Kanae was out of the sight line of the two men, she whipped out her LoveMe stamp book. _Not like I care what he gave me or anything_ , she thought. She flipped to the most recent page, and her practiced air of disinterest vaporized into that of an extremely pissed off predator. _-10? Really? That bastard…!_ And right next to the bane of her existence, that glasses-wearing freak had the _nerve_ to write "Check your attitude..."

However, before the frightening girl could rampage back to Yashiro, she noticed a little arrow pointing to the next page at the very bottom. Curiosity got the best of her, and even as she glared at the innocent-looking book, she flipped to the next page. There, she found twin stamps proudly boasting +100, and a short note there as well. It read, "...but that smile of yours completely makes up for it :) Thanks for the help."

Before she realized it, a warm smile, possibly the same as the one mentioned in the note, spread lightly across her face. _I'll get him back for this,_ she thought, but there was not an ounce of malice behind it.

* * *

As soon as Kyoko arrived on set, she went straight to the director and apologized profusely for being late. He, of course, forgave her immediately and sent her back to the set.

When Kyoko was in character, her behavior was exactly like the girl she was portraying, but once herself, she couldn't get a certain someone out of her head. Her costars noticed her strange display of emotions, ranging from a deep blush to slightly disgruntled and then totally blank, only to repeat the cycle. Kyoko was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the whispers around her.

"Hey, do you think Kyoko-chan is ok? I want to ask her but I don't want to interrupt whatever is going through her head."

"I recognize the pattern. Once, one of my friends overheard that the guy she liked had feelings in return for her. She was like that for the next three days until they talked it out."

"Wow! I wonder who the lucky guy is?" The girl that spoke turned her attention on Kyoko and yelled, "Go for it! You've got him, Kyoko-san!" She then fist-pumped the air enthusiastically, making Kyoko turn tomato red once again.

"I guess you were right! There is a special guy!" The group of girls continued to chatter excitedly until the end of the break.

* * *

Ren's day was much like Kyoko's: Yashiro constantly had to remind him to check his face. Yashiro had caught eight girls with hearts for eyes gazing at him, and two had already fainted at his charming smile.

Yashiro turned to check Ren's schedule for the next day. His eyes skimmed the page, skipping to the most important events first. Being as skilled as he was, it only took a moment, but when Yashiro glanced back at his charge, his eyes narrowed in exasperation. Ren was surrounded by a horde of girls all clamoring for his attention. Yashiro sighed hopelessly. _I tried,_ he thought. Then, he visibly straightened. An idea had struck him.

Yashiro marched over to Ren, a sly smirk playing at his lips. Once he managed to push through the crowd and was firmly next to his charge, he motioned for Ren to bend his head down to his level. Yashiro whispered in his ear, "Ren, if you keep this up, you'll be late for Kyoko-chan. We only have one photoshoot left, but it's going to be a longer one. The faster you finish here, though, the faster we can finish there and the faster you can meet Kyoko-chan~."

That did the trick, even better than Yashiro expected. The duo was back in Ren's car and heading for the next location within ten minutes.


	6. Chapter 4: A Blossoming Love

_Thoughts_

 **English**

"Dialogue,"

* * *

 _-5 hours later-_

Kyoko stood in front of Ren's door, her fist raised to knock and a grocery bag in her other hand. However, actually going through with the action proved to be more difficult than she had thought. _What if I misheard? What if he changed his mind?_ Kyoko tightened her grip on the bag. _No. I have to go through with this. I have to know._ With her resolve strengthened once again, she knocked three times on the door. And waited. She was greeted only by silence. _Is...is he not here yet? Well, that was a lot of stress for nothing._ She wondered, touching her phone in her pocket, if she should call him. _No, if he isn't here now, he's either working or driving._ She sighed and dropped her hand. Taking her time, Kyoko reached for the object that had been a huge weight in her front pocket since she received it.

Kyoko blew out a nervous breath, and inserted the key into the lock. It clicked faintly as it disengaged, and she pushed open the door. As she stepped in, Kyoko flicked on the lights and exchanged her shoes for house slippers and headed straight for the kitchen. _The size of this place never ceases to amaze me_ , she thought. _Oh well, better get started._ Kyoko placed the bag of groceries on the counter with a soft thump and rolled up her sleeves.

* * *

 _-1 hour later-_

Ren sighed. Despite successfully going through the rest of the day with no NG's on his part, he was much later than he knew Kyoko would be. _If she comes,_ he thought grimly. His co-star for the photo shoot had seemed more enamored with him than her job, thus bringing about his tardiness. He had already dropped off Yashiro, and was seriously considering breaking speed laws just to see if Kyoko was at his apartment. He would've called her, but Ren guessed that she wouldn't like it if he talked and drove at the same time.

After what seemed like an eternity, he arrived at the complex. He pushed the elevator call button, fidgeting as he waited. When it finally, finally got to his level, he rushed into the elevator and punched in the floor number. _Why do these go so slow?_ He wondered, and mentally willed it to gain speed.

Once on the correct floor, Ren practically ran down the doors until stopping at his. There was the smell of something delicious in the air, the mouthwatering aroma wafting into the hallway. He stopped and took a deep breath to calm himself. _I could get used to coming home to this,_ he thought, then dispelled it with a shake of his head. Ren drew in another breath, turned the doorknob and stepped into his apartment.

* * *

Kyoko stepped back to admire the product of her hard work. _Hopefully he'll be hungry._ Kyoko had already worked up an appetite, the scent of the huge bowl of Italian pasta made her stomach rumble. Tonight, she had fixed a classic and simple Italian dinner: pasta, garlic bread, and small, fresh olives.

She wiped her brow with her sleeve. Kyoko blinked, then began to get out dishes and silverware. She set glasses, forks, spoons, and napkins on the counter, and reached for the plates. However, because of the height difference between Ren and Kyoko, they were about six inches out of her grasp. Kyoko stood on her tiptoes and stretched, one hand flat on the counter to steady herself, but it was still too far. All of a sudden, she felt strong hands lift her into the air, lending her the height she needed to grab the plates.

"Ah!" She panicked, flailing, and looked down at the face of the person holding her. "Tsuruga-san! Put me down!" Kyoko flushed, her heart throbbing from the shock and then the sudden sight of him.

Ren smiled playfully up at her. "Who's Tsuruga-san? I don't see a Tsuruga-san."

Kyoko's blush deepened. "R-Ren! Please put me down."

"Hello to you too, Kyoko. You should grab the plates while you're up there," Ren teased, his tone mischievous.

Kyoko bit her lip. _Is it even possible to blush more?_ She was practically dying of embarrassment. Nonetheless, she reached for the plates again and took two. "T-there. Now will you put me down? Please?" Kyoko pleaded.

Ren chuckled. "Alright, alright." He gently set her on the floor, careful to make sure she didn't lose her balance. "What have you made? It smells so delicious."

Kyoko, readily accepting the subject change, replied proudly, "A classic Italian meal, complete with pasta, garlic bread, and olives. I...um...I hope you like Italian food," she finished shyly.

"It's been a very long time since I've had any of this. Thank you so much for preparing this, Kyoko. Even though you didn't have to, you did, and your cooking is always delicious." Ren smiled a radiant, genuine smile, the kind that spoke volumes more than any words could even dream of.

Kyoko's face ignited, the heat back in full force. Ren loved how easy it was to put that beautiful cherry color on her cheeks. "Thank you, but you should wait until you've had some to comment on it," Kyoko said timidly, "Speaking of which, we should eat it before it gets cold!"

Ren murmured his agreement, and the two filled their plates and headed to the living room. They sat down to dig in, but before either of them did, Ren cleared his throat. "Um. Kyoko. The whole reason we're together tonight. Do you want to talk about it now or after dinner?" He stared at her food, his nerves dropping his vision from her gorgeous eyes.

"If it's ok, um, I think we should wait until after dinner. Okami-san says that everything is better on a full stomach." Kyoko responded, equally nervous, her blush still strong.

The tension in Ren's shoulders dropped, if only a little. They could put it off for at least another thirty minutes, and just enjoy each other's company. Ren wasn't sure if she'd agree to something like this again, and he knew damn well he wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

* * *

"I was right." Ren spoke when they were both finished.

"About what?"

"The food. It was divine."

Kyoko beamed. "I'm glad you liked it, this is my first attempt at making it."

Ren smiled softly at her. "Anything you cook is and always will be wonderful. That's just how you do things."

She looked at him, startled. "Thank you, Ren."

He was taken aback by her warm expression, and his heart flip-flopped in his chest. _Do I dare hope? Well...she's here now, isn't she? I suppose I can hope if only a little._

A momentary silence fell, each lost in their own thoughts.

When Kyoko looked up, she saw Ren gazing at her intently, a serious look on his face. "Kyoko," he began, "I think you heard all of what I said earlier…" He paused for a moment, hesitant to continue. "Am I correct?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay." Ren blew out a nervous breath. "All...all of it is true. I love you, more than I ever thought it possible to love someone." His hands were trembling, his entire being terrified of a rejection, but he also felt relieved, like he had just lifted a thousand-pound weight off of his chest.

Shock again registered on her features, as if she had convinced herself that she had misheard or misunderstood what she had heard earlier. She processed it slowly once again, until she thought of something she had learned as Bo. "U-um, what about that high school girl? I thought you l-loved her." _Of course it's not me, he has no reason to fall for me…_

Ren looked at her strangely, trying to figure out where she had gotten such an absurd fact. _There's plenty of gossip, but I didn't think any about some random schoolgi-Wait. Hold up. Did that chicken…?_ Ren swore under his breath. "Look, I don't know what that chicken guy told you, but just how many high school girls do you think I hang out with? Never mind, don't answer that. But the truth is that it's only you. I. Love. You. Nobody else." He sighed, and continued, "Kyoko. I know you aren't exactly partial to the idea of love, and I know you're in the LoveMe section for a reason, but I want you to know that I would wait for you forever. If, that is, if you decide you want to keep me around." Once again, his jitters returned.

"B-but…um…" Kyoko was utterly stunned. _Me. He...loves me?_ "But I-I'm plain and boring, and there's so many more girls you could have that are all so much pr-"

Ren cut her off. "Kyoko, you are the most beautiful girl in the entire universe. You are the opposite of plain and boring; you're vibrant and exciting and lovely and dedicated. You… Kyoko, why are you crying?"

"I...am? I didn't notice. I-I…" Kyoko reached up and touched her cheek, surprised to find it wet. She couldn't find the words she needed to express herself.

Ren leaned forward, placing the palm of his hand gently on her cheek, and wiped away the runaway tear. His other hand found her waist, and he maneuvered her into his lap. From there, he wrapped her in his arms, and just like that, Kyoko couldn't stop her tears. This was the first time that someone so important to her truly returned her feelings. She was completely overwhelmed, and the barrage of emotions manifested themselves in tears. However, she wasn't sad. Her heart had grown wings, and she felt light and blissful. If she hadn't been experiencing the feeling herself, she wouldn't have believed anything could feel so... _freeing._

After a while, Kyoko sniffed, her tears slowly receding, and whispered, "R-Ren. Thank you. I...I'm so happy." Although her smile was small and shy, it conveyed more than any words ever could. In a show of bravery, she confessed, "I love you too. I have for a while now, and it's never going to change. I love you, Ren."

Ren's eyes widened. "You...you do?" He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he hadn't dared hoped for _this_. His heart hammered in his chest, and because they were so close, he was pretty sure she could tell.

She smiled the sweetest smile he'd ever seen, and he swore he could hear angels sing. "Ren, I love you. I really, truly love you."

Ren shot to his feet, her still in his arms, and spun her around. Laughing and grinning, they embraced once more. Then, his hands slowly ventured from her hips to cup her face again. "Kyoko," he breathed, "can I kiss you?"

Once more unable to find the words, Kyoko opted to nod, and she quivered with excitement and elation. She felt him draw her face closer, and she slowly closed her eyes, the anticipation making her heart race.

Ren closed the distance between them, this time without being interrupted. The moment Kyoko felt his lips brush hers, a rapid succession of warm, excited tingles sprouted in her chest and spread throughout her body. Although it was just the slightest touch, it was full of tender emotion. Then, just like that, the mood of the kiss changed, becoming something desperate and needy, and Kyoko felt electric. Ren moved his hands to her back and behind her head, and pulled her flush against him. She lost herself in his scent, his touch, his kiss...she couldn't get enough.

Ren had tried, really tried, to go slow, to stay cool, and give her a chance to pull away if she changed her mind. He really did. But...but. She was so enticing, so irresistible, that after a few seconds of "staying cool", he couldn't hold back. Before Ren knew it, he was pulling her up against him, kissing her with every pent-up and held back emotion about her. He kissed her like he was going to die tomorrow. Nothing mattered but the two of them, right here, right now, and he wanted her to know that she held his heart in her hands.

After a several long, heated moments, they slowly pulled away. Brown eyes met golden ones, a loving smile met a shy one, and three of the most precious and important words were spoken. Between the two of them, their use would never wear out…

"I love you."

* * *

 **A/N: It's done, as promised! I really hope the ending is to your satisfaction! I had so much fun writing this, and I'll be starting another soon. My beta readers are magical, this couldn't have been complete without them! Thank you all so much, each review has been so awesome and kind! And of course, thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and read as well. Each one of you is my motivation!**


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